Yesterday Alan and I traveled from Port Antonio to Boston Bay. We bounced around in the back of an old white van, winding through banana trees, coconut palms, and houses on hills overlooking the coast. The steering column of the van was on the right side, British style, and each time we whipped around a turn and passed an oncoming vehicle to starboard it felt a little new.
We arrived after a 15 minute ride and paid the chauffeur $120 Jamaican Dollars each. Then we walked to the wooden surf shack/office, haggled with some authentic Rastafarians for a longboard and leash rental, and took turns surfing for around 4 hours.
Boston Bay is a small inlet with bluffs on either side that create swells big enough to surf. The water was blue, warm, and salty, and the bottom was (mostly) sand. I was not very well equipped (just shorts), but it was exciting: the first time surfing in a couple of years! I paddled out past the breakers, sat up, waited out the first swell of every set, and tried to catch the biggest ones without getting washing-machined.
Neither Alan or I are expert surfers, but it was a great time. Just one quick ride on a wave makes all the paddling, salty eyes, and nose water worth it. It is a pure sport that does not require complicated man-made equipment, and like sailing, is essentially about harnessing energy from wind and waves.
After the waves started to die down in the afternoon we returned the board, passed on lots of beaded necklaces, and caught a taxi that was headed to Port Antonio. Our driver stopped for some fish tea for lunch (it smelled better than it sounds), and turned down my offer to drive us back (insurance reasons). We unsuccessfully tried to decipher her Patois conversation with another Jamaican passenger. A slow improvement on this front has been noted.
Back in Port Antonio, we stopped by the square for our first Jerk Pork- served in tin foil with white bread, accompanied by a cold bag juice: a plastic bag of juice. We dined sans utensils sitting on some rocks under tropical-looking foliage along the road to the Marina. An excellent day. RESPECT.